YE Gurl Says: Franklin Park Lit Up My Night (Literally)…read more Date: September 6, 2025 Place: Franklin Park - Water Lantern Festival (Yelp Contest Winner!) I've been to Franklin Park before for the African Festival, but little did I know there was a gorgeous man-made lake and walking area tucked behind the amphitheatre. Honestly, Columbus needs more events out here--imagine summer concerts lakeside. Come on, Cbus, don't sleep on this! Thanks to a Yelp contest win, I got two tickets to the Water Lantern Festival and was excited to experience it for the first time. I brought the beau, packed a sweater (because yes, sweater-and-jacket weather arrived), and we found a spot to settle in. The experience started with decorating our lanterns--super thoughtful packages that came with a deck of cards and conversation prompts to keep the evening flowing. The event itself was well organized: shuttles helped us avoid the parking madness, there were plenty of food trucks (though I ate beforehand), and the staff kept things moving. The only hiccup was the AV system--it was a little hard to hear, and the lantern launch was delayed due to the chill. But when those lanterns finally floated onto the water, the view was worth it. Beautiful, reflective, and something I can now check off my list as an artistic and soulful evening. YE Gurl checked the box and lit the night!

We love Franklin Park and love doing our family walk time with our doggie Ellie. Absolutely would…read morerecommend taking a stroll on a pretty day, or you could even have a picnic. It's a huge park with an amphitheater, cascade waterfalls, a community garden, an Asian-inspired garden, a playground, a picnic shelter, and ponds stocked for fishing. The park is also the home of the annual Columbus Asian Festival, the Franklin Park Adventure Center, and the amazing Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

A huge park, with plenty to do. Playing fields, green spaces and woods, a very nice shelter…read morebuilding, etc. We were there for the playground, of course, and it's smallish but fun. A few picnic tables and benches nearby. A little shade. Easy access from the parking lot.

This park has a fantastic large greenspace to use. There are also athletic fields, baseball fields,…read moretennis courts, and a shelterhouse, plus a small playground. It is right along the greenway trail, so it is easily accessible via foot or bike, in addition to car, as it does have a parking lot. There are picnic tables and benches. We also really enjoyed checking out the historic suspension bridge originally built over Alum Creek in 1922. It is now part of the bike trail. It was interesting to appreciate the architecture of it.

This park can be found hidden beneath the streets of Clintonville residents, down in the ravine,…read morewhere water flows and wildlife takes over. I would have never known this was here if a friend didn't live nearby and tell me all about it. On my visit I accessed the park by traveling down some steep stairs and crossing a little bridge that gets you across the small creek that runs through. I quickly discovered a handful of miniature trails that sprawl out from the center of the park and into the little crevasses of the neighborhood bordering the area. I noticed a good number of other park goers, several super happy pups, and unfortunately a ton of trash. This is obviously what caused me to dock a star from my rating, such a bummer. Clean up after yourself people, there was seriously trash everywhere. My favorite part about this park is the tunnel with the giant birds painted across it. The acoustics once you're inside are major and during my visit there was a young man playing a flute. The sound carried so beautifully, it made my day. My second favorite part was spotting an owl high up in a tree. Owls are definitely my spirit animal, so cool! I'll definitely be back to this park. Fingers crossed it's cleaned up a bit.

Glen Echo is a fun ravine to explore, nestled amongst the streets of Clintonville. You can walk…read morethere if you're in the area, or use street parking. There are a few different ways to enter the park - pay attention to signage indicating private property areas and to when some entrances are closed (i.e. during the winter, the steps may be closed if ice is a concern). There's a main path running through the park, next to which are various signs explaining the history and nature of the area, which runs into the tunnel with the beautiful bird paintings, which is, unfortunately, showing its age these days. Other paths branch off, allowing you to explore the nearby woods, and you can also go down what used to be an old street and enjoy that too. It's a nice place to explore near the city!

This was one of my favorite places to visit in Columbus, OH... and it's free! Unless you have to…read morepay for parking... I highly recommend this place!!! The garden is so interesting and from different angles you'll see different views. I really enjoyed this place and taking pictures.

I love the recreation of the famous Seurat painting however...While I was here with my kiddos it…read morereeked of urine, we found boxers on the park grounds, and encountered some questionable people. It was a quick visit for us but such a beautiful wonderful idea. Unfortunately I wouldn't go out of my way for this, pictures could be better than the in person experience.

Nice mid-sized park, with benches, shade, a gazebo, etc. Plus a medium-size playground that Baby K…read moreabsolutely loved. Slides, climbing stuff, some spinning and bouncing things. And, a bonus playground at the King Arts Center next door. Parking is there, too. Great green space and relaxation area in the heart of the city.

Blackburn Park and Recreation Center falls under The City of Columbus Recreation and Parks…read moreDepartment. Located on Bryden Road Blackburn Park is a great little community space in Olde Towne East. You can get here on Bryden Road, and also off East Main Street. The Blackburn Community Center located here as well, but that is a separate managed facility than the park and playgrounds. Being a neighborhood park, we love walking our dog here and around through Olde Towne East. It's a good little spot for a break. We always see here kids playing and adults hanging out enjoying the park too. Amenities include basketball and tennis courts, a playground, a "sprayground" on hot summer days, and pick-nick tables year round. Dog friendly and the park is open dusk to dark.

Mainly a review for the playground, as always…read more On the south side are tennis courts and a splash park, and we didn't see the playground at first. It is on the north side. Smallish but with plenty to do. A big green space nearby, and benches and tables handy. The rec center is right there. Kid K liked it, but no one else was out on Memorial Day weekend so we went in search of new friends at other parks. Nice to have in the neighborhood, with a variety of things to do. Surprised we haven't been sooner, since we pass it occasionally. Probably didn't stop because you can't really see the playground from the major streets. But it's here, and fun.

Very well taken care of park. Plenty of running around space, workout equipment and even a walking…read moretrail. 4 different slides, 2 big kid swings and two harness swings. Nice parking area that can hold at least 30 cars. This area would be great for Easter egg hunts, little league practices and more. Daughter played for an hour straight completely entertained.

Baby K loved the playground, and that was the reason we were there, so five stars. As a park in…read moregeneral, maybe three or four: huge open spaces, only a few trees though, and a big parking lot. Not many other amenities. A workout area, pretty far from the playground and surrounded by a flock of geese. Some benches and picnic tables. But: two playsets, one big, one small. A "zipline" thing where a kid (or adult) can hold on and slide across. Big variety of things to do.

This is my favorite little pocket park in Columbus. Diagonally situated across from St. Joseph's…read moreCathedral. There is a water feature. And automatically the statutory evokes a theme of education and reading in particular. Nearby this spot used to stand the original Wendy's restaurant. It closed in 2007. The founder Dave Thomas was a huge advocate of literacy programming. He did not graduate from high school until 1993, when he received a GED. he was also an adoption advocate. Dave was a great humanitarian. I always think of him when I am here. This is a great place to contemplate life and what important noble achievements are really about.

This is a small, rather concrete park, primarily filled with a statue and landscaping. It can be…read morefound downtown right off of Broad street, with some of Columbus' taller buildings nearby. It also happens to be close to the very first location of fast food chain, Wendy's. Hah, what are the odds? The plaque near the garden, behind the statue of children and giant letters, explains that the park is there to honor Ohio's educators, the teachers, public schools, colleges, and universities. I'm not exactly sure who made this statue but it's a nice little nook of downtown. I only noticed it walking by. It caught my attention right away and created a moment where I was able to pause and think and reflect. Love finding hidden gems of the city like this!

This is an excellent place for a takeout when you're kayaking the Big Walnut Creek. There's an…read moreeasily identifiable location on River Left And when we visited it was well manicured with gravel, which made it easy to get up the small hill where we load the boats onto our car. After some time on the river, you might be hungry, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby with a variety of different foods available. Urban kayaking can be fun - And this is a great space to wind up your day on the river.

Nice little park in the heart of Gahanna. Some green space, a shelter, some tennis and basketball…read morecourts. But we were here for the playground, and it was great. Big, with many areas for different ages. Baby K loved the slides and climbing wall. There's a swing you can ride with them. Drums to beat on, many other interesting play items.